How Hearing Panels are Appointed

Determination of a panel will be made by the Commissioner for every case that proceeds
to a hearing. As part of that, the Commissioner may choose to appoint members from
the pool of public members to sit on hearings as appropriate. The Teachers Act
also requires that panels are appointed based on the following criteria:

One of the three panel members must be a BCTF member, unless no BCTF member is available,
and

One panel member must have knowledge and experience of independent schools if the
case involves a respondent who holds an independent school teaching certificate.

How to Apply for the Hearing Panel Pool

Interested persons living in British Columbia are invited to apply for inclusion
in the Hearing Panel roster, which will form the Hearing Panel Pool. Persons from
this Pool who are chosen to serve on a panel will be compensated at an anticipated
$600 per hearing day. Panels will be conducted in Vancouver, British Columbia. Expenses
for travel and any meals during hearing panel proceedings will be reimbursed to
the panel member based on government policy. Please note, as with the law courts,
while many hearings are scheduled, few actually proceed. As an example, in 2013
only four matters proceeded to a hearing.

Applicants must:

Not be a current employee of the Ministry of Education

Not be elected to or be a declared candidate for public office in the provincial
government or a board of education

Not be a complainant in an outstanding complaint about a teacher in British Columbia

Not have been a certified teacher at any time during the last 20 years

Consent to a criminal records check

Provide a record of any discipline or investigations by a professional body regarding
them that occurred within the last 10 years.

Be willing and available to take training in administrative law and principles of
natural justice; the conduct of fair hearings and evaluating evidence; decision
making and writing; and the processes of the Teacher Regulation Branch

The following will be considered by the Ministry in selecting individuals for the
Hearing Panel Pool:

Demonstrated commitment to the public interest and the protection of children

Previous experience in conducting administrative hearings and in providing written
reasons for decisions

Demonstrated understanding of the principles of administrative law and natural justice

Strong communication skills, both oral and written.

If you are interested, send us your resume (with your current contact information,
including your email address) in one of the following ways: